Post-retaining band.



PATENTED APR. l0, 1906 O. OLSON. POST RETAINING BAND. APPLIoATloH FILED Muze. 1905.

or@ QWOOGGOEE.

STATES OLOF OLSON, OF BANCROFI, IOWA.

PosrmnEi-amuue BAND.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

atented April 10, 1906.

Application led May 23,1905. Serial No. 261,796.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OLOF OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bancroft, in the county of Kossuth and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Post- Ietaining Band, of which the following is a speciiication.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device which is designed to prevent the top of a post from splitting while it is being driven and for maintaining the split portions of a post after it begins to split from further splitting while the post is being driven.

A further object is to provide a device of this class which can be readily attached to and detached from any of the ordinary sizes of posts, even though these posts vary somewhat in their size from a small to a large one in diameter.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe various parts of the device Whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in position on a post. Fig. 2 is a top view of the device attached to the post. In this view a portion of the handle is broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the post-engaging member detached from the remainder of the device, showing its curved portion. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the ratchet removed from the rest of the device. Fig. 5 is a d etail view of the hook for maintaining one end of the rope in position relative to the handle, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the head. of the handle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate the handle of the device, having the enlarged. head 11, in which there is a curved. upper portion 12 and an opening 13 in the central portion of the head. In the handle there is a series of transverse openings 14. Extending outwardly from one side of the handle and adjacent to the head is a bearing 15, upon which the pawl 16 is pivotally mounted. The end of the pawl 16 which is nearest the rear end of the handle I have designated by the numeral 17, and. for the salte of convenience I have termed this the finger-piece. The other end of the pawl 18 is designed to engage a ratchet-wheel 19, to be hereinafter referred to. Extending down- Wai'dly'l'rom one edge of the handle and at one l side of the pawl 16 is the lug 20, having a pin 21 extending inwardly from it. There is a pin on the pawl 18, which extends outwardly from it, which I have designated by the numeral 22. Mounted on these pins 21 and 22 is a sprin(r 23, designed to normally hold the end 18 of the pawl 16 in engagement with the ratchet 19. At the opposite side ofthe head 11 of the handle from that on which the ratchet 19 is placed. I have provided a post engaging member 24, having a concave portion which is designed to engage the curved outer surface of the post. Extending from the convex surface of the post-engaginginember 24 is a bearing 25, having an outwardlyextending squared member 26 thereon. The bearing 25 is designed to enter the opening 18 in the head 11 of the handle 10 and is designed to swing freely therein. The outer portion of the squared member 26 is designed to enter a squared opening 27 in the ratchetwheel 19. A flat metallic plate 28 is placed on the outer end of the squared member 26 in such a way that it projects over the ratchet 19, and. thus retains said ratchet in position on the squared member 26 while the head 11 of the handle 10 is being turned on the bearing 25. On account of the fact that the post-engaging member 24, the bearing 25, the squared member 26, and the ratchet 19 are maintained against movement when the post-engaging member is in engagement with a post the handle will be maintained against movement except in one direction bythe engagement of the spring-actuated pawl 16 with the ratchet 19.

Passing through one end of the post-engaging member 24 is an opening 29. At one edge of the post-engaging member I have provided a projection 30, having the opening 31 extending through it. I have also provided an opening 32 in the lug 20. n

Secured at one end to the postengaging member 24 and passing through the opening 29 and then through the opening 31 around the grooved portion 12 of the head 11 and through the opening 32 is a rope or cable 33, having a hook 34 detachably and adjustably secured at its :free end, which hook is designed to enter any one of the series of openings 14 in the handle.

In practical operation and assuming that the parts are assembled as above described the concave portion of the post-engaging member is placed in engagement with the top of the post, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the rope 33 is drawn as tight IOO IIO

as can be conveniently done by hand and the hook placed in the proper opening i4 for holding it in a taut position. Then further assuming that the handle is placed at its limit of movement, where the distance between the lug 20 and the rejection 30 will be at a minimum, the handlle is drawn so as to move the lug 20 away from the projection 30, and this will cause the rope to be drawn taut, so as to secure it against splitting when the post is being driven into the ground by a driving mechanism. This device is also adapted to to be used in connection with the driving of piles and to prevent to a large extent the damaging and the splitting of the upper end of the pile.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

l. In a device of the class described, a postengaging member, a handle pivoted thereto, a rope passing around one end of the handle, secured at one end to the post-retaining member and secured at its other end to the handle, a vratchet secured to the post-retaining member on the opposite side of the handle from it, and a pawl secured to the handle for retaining the handle against movement in one direction.

2. In a device of the class described, a postengaging member, a handle pivoted thereto, a rope passing around one end of' the handle, secured at one end to the post-retaining member and secured at its other end to the handle, a ratchet secured to the post-retaining member on the opposite side of the handle from it, a spring-actuated pawl secured to the handle 'for retaining the handle against movement in one direction.

3. In a device of thev class described, a postengaging member, a handle having a series of openings extending through it, a rounded head having a groove in it at one end of the handle, means for pivotally securing the curved head of the handle to the postretain ing member, and a cable secured to the postengaging member, passing around the curved head and detachably secured to the handle.

4. In a device of the class described, a postengaging member, a handle having a series of openings extending through it, a rounded head having a groove in it at one end of the handle, means for pivotally securing the curved head of the handle to the post-retaining member, a cable secured to the post-enw gaging member, passing around the curved head, and a hook on the tree end of the cable designed to be inserted into any one of the openings in the handle.

5. In a device of the class described, a postengaging member, a handle having a series of openings extending through it, a rounded head having a groove in it at one end of the handle, means for pivotally securing the curved head of the handle to the post-retaining member, a cable secured to the post-engaging member, passing around the curved head, a hook on the free end of the cable designed to be inserted into any one of the openings in the handle, a ratchet-wheel non-rotatably secured to the post-engaging member, and a spring-actuated pawl mounted on the handle and designed to engage the ratchet for maintaining the handle in position against the drawing Jforce of the rope when it is drawn tight around a post.

6. A post-engaging member having a concave surface designed to engage a post and a convex outer surface, a bearing extending outwardly from the convex surface, a handle pivotally mounted on the bearing, a squared member extending outwardly from the bearing, a ratchet-wheel secured to the squared member, a spring actuated pawl pivoted to the handle, designed to engage the ratchet, a rope secured to one side of the post-engaging member and passing through the other side of the handle, and passing around the end of the handle adjacent to the ratchet-wheel, and a hook secured to the free end of the rope, designed to enter `any one of the openings in the handle,1for the purposes stated..

7. A post-engaging member having a con cave surface designed to engage a post and a convex outer surface, a bearing extending outwardly from the convex surface, a handle pivotally mounted on the bearing, a squared member extending outwardly from the bearing, a ratchet-wheel secured to the squared member, a spring actuated pawl pivoted to the handle, designed to engage the ratchet, a rope secured to one side of the postengaging member and passing through the other side of the handle, and passing around the end of the handle adjacent to the ratchetwheel, and a hook detachably secured to the free end of the rope and designed to enter any one of the openings in the handle.

OLOF OLSON.

Witnesses C. J. LENANDER, P. A. LONERGAN.

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